Greetings Earthling, we come in peace! Today we worked on conducting research regarding what the genre of our final task would be. The first stop on our list was to examine the science-fiction genre and its conventions. Before I delve into that though, I would like to state how interesting I find science fiction to be as it is such a versatile genre, with the films nestled within the category ranging from being about gritty post-apocalyptic scenarios, to futuristic interstellar escapades, to nail-biting alien invasions, and even to mind-warping time travel-twisted plots. All of the aforementioned concepts each fit into science fiction's standard, yet vague definition of being a genre in which a fictional story concerning futuristic or imagined hypotheticals and their effect on society is created. With that being said, it should make sense as to why every science fiction film has a few underlying similarities with its counterparts, which make the genre instantly recognizable. To understand these commonalities, we'll need to look at the fundamental components of any film, which I've outlined below.
Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots:
The science fiction genre is riddled with a variety of different camera angles and shots being that it is so diverse. We were able to locate some shared similarities within the realm of science fiction, one of which was the use of wide shots. Said shots are typically used for capturing exoplanetary settings and often showcase a singular planet from a distance that also reveals the surrounding space, with one notable example was when Earth was shown in the 2013 hit, Gravity, or when providing the audience with a larger view of the setting when faced with unfamiliar, strange terrains, like with The Martian in 2015. A similar effect is achieved by the use of long shots in movies like Risen (2021). While these shots are impressive, the first of the two might be difficult to achieve unless we drive up to Cape Canaveral one of these weekends and hitch a ride on one of Space X's Dragon shuttles. Moving on, we also noticed that close-up shots are used when it comes to capturing the awe that subjects find themselves in when exploring the unknown, like in the movie Avatar (2009), or when conveying a sense of tension when, such as in the movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Being that such a simple shot is so effective, it is something that we would like to include in our final task. Eye-line matches, which are part of editing, are also used in conjunction with close-up shots as they are able to convey a shared, sometimes intense emotion between multiple subjects. Furthermore, extreme close-ups are often used to showcase a change in a subject, perhaps one in which a physical transformation occurs, or in the case of the 2005 film, The Jacket, the audience is clued into the fact that the subject is time traveling, shifting from one place to another. In terms of when characters are speaking to one another, two shots, tracking shots, over-the-shoulder shots, shot reverse shots, and each type of medium shot can be seen depending on the situation and the way in which the characters are conversing.
The use of eye-level angles is something that all science fiction films share as they work to make the audience feel comfortable, being that they can identify themselves in a subject and find a sense of familiarity amongst the foreign lands and creatures that said actor encounters along the way. This undistorted view of the subject is also essential in films because it then allows the audience to form their own opinions regarding said subject, so it is likely that we will also try to include this in our film. As for dutch tilts, we did find them to be quite interesting as it plays off of the audience's unfamiliarity with a situation and then further disorients them, something that was quite effective in movies like Inception in 2010. Regarding low angles, they are often used to put the villains in a position of power, as seen during the agent chase scene in The Matrix (1999). Moreover, they can also be used to capture vast, vertical landscapes in large cities, often becoming paired with the use of a tilt.
On the topic of camera movements, panning is sometimes used along with a point of view shot to make it seem like the audience is taking in the scenery or events directly through the eyes of the subject themselves. Additionally, panning can be used when a character is hit or flung, until it ultimately settles on the subject once they've made an impact with an object or the ground, as shown in Love and Monsters (2020). Likewise, during action-packed scenes where running occurs, handheld camera recording is conducted to make the shots look shakey and make it seem as though the viewers are right alongside the subject, a trick used in movies like Jurrasic Park (1993).
Sound:
In science fiction films, sound is a crucial element, whether it is employed with the use of clever sound effects or within a carefully-crafted soundtrack, like in Interstellar, where Hans Zimmer incorporated a ticking sound on one planet to represent the time passing by on Earth. What's interesting about the sounds in science fiction films is that because so many of the props and concepts films use are nonexistent today, directors need to rely on alternative methods of producing meaningful sound effects; hence why they turn to foley. Foley is essentially when sound effects are added after the shooting of the actual film, and it opens up the avenue for directors to be more inventive with sounds by the use of readily available, household objects, which means that we can achieve these same effects in our own film. For example, in the 2018 film, A Quiet Place, lettuce was cracked to simulate the sound of the alien creature's ear opening and listening for noise. Foley can be also used to make objects emit sounds louder than they normally do to ensure that they are heard by the audience, such as when the lights in a spaceship, which can be captured by closing a DVD case, or when a distinct metallic clank occurs, which can be simulated by hitting a spoon against a pot, which lie in the background as ambient noise. These sounds which are often overlooked are vital in allowing the film to create an immersive environment for the audience, whether they are produced organically or synthetically. In addition, some sounds such as those emitted from otherworldly creatures can be obtained by pitching up human or animal noises. Within the science fiction genre, one will also encounter the widespread use of leitmotifs, such as with the introduction of subjects like the infamous Darth Vader in the Star Wars saga. Incidental music is also common as helps make a scene more dramatic, as with the reveal of the brachiosaurs in Jurassic Park.
Editing:
The science fiction genre is one of the newer genres to be introduced to the media industry and for good reason. Looking back to when the science fiction genre had its first official "take-off", one will find that it was only popularized about three centuries ago, which really isn't that far back in the grand scheme of things. One might make the conjecture that this was when people became more interested in the future and the possibilities it held, enthralled by a distant time that they'd never get to experience and seeking comfort in their attempts to capture what might one day be. On the other hand, the science fiction genre may have only begun to gain traction within the past few hundred years because of the technological advancements occurring that enabled the genre to be truly revolutionary. To understand what I mean by that, consider the words "science fiction films," and take note of what first comes to mind. Often times when the phrase is uttered, one's mind will drift to the likes of Avatar, Star Wars, and its derivatives, and the Jurrasic Park media franchise, and it does so rightfully being that those three titles occupy the top three spots on the highest-grossing science fiction films worldwide of all time.
As I've stated earlier in this blog, the science fiction genre can manifest itself in many different forms as is evidenced by the fact that each of the aforementioned films have entirely different storylines, and yet all managed to be so successful. At this point, it is clear that they must share some sort of commonality in terms of their conventions, which in this case, just so happens to be with their editing, specifically their use of groundbreaking virtual effects. Now, obviously, being that they were films with such large budgets, this makes sense, so while virtual effects are something we can respect, then we likely not be able to include them into our final task as we need to meet specific deadlines and cannot afford to fall behind schedule when attempting to incorporate elements we are unfamiliar with operating.
Speaking in terms of more general effects, my group and I did find that techniques like the inclusion of inserts were effective in providing tidbits of information that later prove to be significant, working as a Chekhov's Gun of sorts. In addition, cutaways are also used in action scenes to quickly switch between the conflict and the subjects involved in it, giving the audience the chance to recognize the scope of the issue as well as the individual characters' reactions to it. This was shown in movies like The Tomorrow War, 2012, and even in Avengers: Endgame. Another notable tactic employed by cinematographers is crosscutting, which is used to ramp up tension until two points converge as one. This was utilized in particular in Christopher Nolan's film, Tenet, which was a rather well-selected choice being that the film is based on traveling forward and backward through time until it meets at a singular point. We will likely be unable to use this technique within our own film since we have a time limit of two minutes.
Mis-Én-Scene:
Within the category of mis-én-scene, one of the most recognizable elements is that of costume design. When it comes to costumes in science fiction films, they are often more elaborate than those of other genres as they seek to portray a time or situation that has never, or will likely never actually transpire. This gives directors the creative liberty to do whatever they please in terms of character design and consequently a subject's outward appearance. Oftentimes, science fiction films, particularly those with more dystopian undertones, will use costume design to separate classes or join people as one in an attempt of oppression, either by having those in higher classes wearing more gaudy clothing, like in The Hunger Games (2012) by equalizing everyone and having them all wear the same, dull clothing, as with Equals in 2015. When it comes to films based in post-apocalyptic scenarios, subjects will often wear torn, dirty articles of clothing to emphasize the struggles and strife that had to overcome to survive another day, such as with the Maze Runner in 2014. Along with costumes comes the use of make-up, particularly prosthetics like when bringing an alien species or zombie to life (ironic I know). With the use of said body modifications, film crew members are able to alter the eyes, body shape, and skin color of subjects, like with Gamora in the 2014 Marvel film, Guardians of the Galaxy to make the movie more "realistic."
The next aspect of mis-én-scene is lighting. In science fiction films, one will see that when taking place in more futuristic scenarios, neon colors are often incorporated to feed into an oversaturated look when depicting a utopian society, whereas blue tones are used along with unnatural lighting to create a clean-cut, sterile, and cold feel, such as in the movie Blade Runner, contributing to this feeling of detachment felt by the audience as they are unable to entirely relate to the situation and the subject. Occasionally, extremely bright lighting will be used, such as when a subject slowly comes to after having been knocked out, or when a subject is being beamed up into a spaceship during an alien abduction, or even to showcase the intensity of the light outside if a subject had been underground or in the dark for an extended period of time. That is not to say that dull and dark lighting isn't used as well, being that it is effective in obscuring certain elements of the scene.
Shifting gears and focusing on the acting aspect of science fiction films, one will see that aside from a director's proficiency in using camera shots and angles compellingly, the quality of any movie and how interesting it is to an audience also hinges on the subject's performance and whether or not it is convincing enough to evoke an emotional connection or reaction from the audience. This then becomes the reason why close-up shots are so commonly used in this genre as they have the ability to capture more intimate, stirring emotions than one might catch from a more distant shot. Of course with acting comes dialogue, which should be evocative as it will not only provide expository, worldbuilding information, but it will also help to deepen the bond that an audience will inevitably develop with the primary subject over the course of the film. Hence why when it comes to creating the opening of our film, we must use acting in a way that makes an improbable scenario seem possible and really sell it to the audience by ensuring that they are completely immersed in the storyline, dialogue, and action of our video. This will be done by preventing our dialogue from becoming dull and having it drag on with the incorporation of unnecessary information.
In science films, as previously mentioned, many of the included topics or materials are not real, so props consist of very interesting, technologically advanced gadgets. Said gadgets are typically weapons of some sort, such as futuristic guns or even lightsabers, but they can also include various methods of transport and even communication devices. Some examples of vehicles often seen in the genre include hoverboards like in the ever-iconic 1985 Back to the Future movie, spaceships, and even flying cars. Regarding apparatuses used for transmissions, cutting-edge computers, earpieces, and even holograms, like in Iron Man 2 (2010). Even robots and artificial intelligence are incorporated as props.
Science fiction movies are, for the most part, set in the future, so more fantastical locations can be used, such as the interior of a spaceship, as seen in the 2016 movie Passenger, for instance. Other films that take place in barren locations or off of planet Earth entirely will have filming crews resort to traveling to various places across the globe that have scenery that resembles the vision of the director, such as lush rainforests or arid deserts. If they are unable to find a location that meets their filming needs, they may often choose to build the entire set from scratch or use extensive CGI to fill in the gaps, which is something that we won't be able to do on our limited budget, that being the reason why we chose to have our pitch be based around a closet inside of someone's house.
Takeaways:
The science fiction genre is very complex, offering a wide assortment of different shots, angles, and locations. Being that we are high school students, there are limitations to what we can actually produce, so we'll likely need to stay away from the incorporation of visual effects and we will also need to make do with the locations we have readily available. Since our pitch already laid out the fact that our final task would be set in a house, the latter of the two isn't an issue. With that being said, we can focus on including close-up and eye-level shots, dutch tilts, panning, titling, cutaways, and inserts, so if we do choose to stick with the science fiction genre, all hope is not lost.
Other than those inherent limitations, I'd say that the sky is the limit, so in the words of the inspirational, intergalactic hero, Buzz Lightyear, "To infinity and beyond(!)" (Toy Story 1995).
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